American Idol winner Phillip Phillips has already had 8 surgeries during his time on the singing competition show, and he still has more surgery to face now that the show has ended. The 21 year old Georgia native has been dealing with severe and chronic kidney stones for the entire season.

Phillip Phillips called intoLive! With Kelly on Thursday morning and discussed both his exciting win on Wednesday night’s finale, as well his not so exciting upcoming surgery. He was scheduled to appear on Live! With Kelly next week but regretfully said he would be unable to make it because he would be preoccupied tending to his health instead.

Chronic kidney stones are a pretty common disorder but that doesn’t make them any less painful for the person unlucky enough to have to deal with them. Phillip Phillips’s family doctor apparently told him about two weeks ago that he needed surgery immediately. Kidney stones are solid masses made up of tiny crystals, and when they pass through the body in the urine stream they can be extremely unpleasant.

Still, his family is very proud of him and supporting him during this exciting and momentous time in his life. His father, Phillip Phillips Sr. said, “I’m so proud of him. He just sucked it up and endured and he overcomes.” The younger Phillips has a combination of great and less great things to look forward to in his immediate future.